“Slightly” Series

Books in the Series

Slightly Single
Slightly Engaged

Slightly Engaged
Book Three

About the Series

Small town transplant Tracey Spadolini’s New York City misadventures lead her from bad dates and entry-level missteps to newlywed life–and unemployment–in suburbia.

Slightly Single

Slightly Single

BOOK ONE

For every girl who’s ever endured a long, hot urban summer on her own, Slightly Single is the summer breeze you’ve been waiting for!

A heat wave in Manhattan is enough to drive a girl crazy, and for Tracey Spadolini, a 24-year-old New York transplant who’s been “left behind” for the summer, there’s even more to sweat about. Her Slightly Significant Other, Will, will be returning from summer stock in September, to pick up where they left off. (Or will he?)

But, in the days after Will’s departure, Tracey decides it’s time for a reality check. Her un-air-conditioned East Village apartment is a dump, her entry-level ad job sucks, her thighs don’t seem to be getting any thinner, and Will seems to have dropped off the face of the earth. So, Tracey, with the help of her friends and one very attentive guy, decides to spend her summer reinventing herself…and taking a chance on liking the new woman she becomes.

A refreshingly honest account of universal female dilemmas, Slightly Single is an engaging story of one young woman’s search for happiness.

“I found Slightly Single to be a very good read…I also enjoyed how author Wendy Markham ended Slightly Single… suffice it is to say that it wasn’t the typical chick-lit ending for a book. Overall, I would recommend Slightly Single to anyone who likes reading about a young woman in Manhattan making herself over, struggling with her self-esteem and trying to find her way in life. Don’t miss it!”
—Rian Montgomery for ChickLitBooks.com

“An undeniably fun journey for the reader.”
—Booklist

“Bridget Jonesy.Tracey Spadolini smokes, drinks and eats too much, and frets about her romantic life.”
—Publishers Weekly

“This is a delightfully humorous read, full of belly laughs and groans.It is almost scary how honest and true to life this book is. It is a fun read for a beach day, or a steamy evening in one’s own un-air conditioned abode like Tracey’s.”
—The Best Reviews

Slightly Single is a fascinating mainstream novel about a woman starving for love who lies to herself about her boyfriend. Readers will feel the doubts, denial, and discomfort that Tracey suffers from in her relationships with men. Wendy Markham provides an insightful tale about a nice person unable to stand up for herself when the male of the species is unkind to her.”
—Harriet Klausner

“Kept me hooked from start to finish. I was entertained by every page, and would recommend it to any woman who would like to step back from her life and laugh at the hilarity of the human mind. Wendy Markham has filled Slightly Single with the quirky things that go through our minds daily, teaching us to laugh at ourselves again.”
—Emily Lampert, The Collegian Online

“This book follows her journey to self-discovery, but what is unique to this story is that we do not see a neatly bow-tied and complete ending, where our heroine has everything she wants and lives a happily ever after by the last page.

“Instead, we see Tracy making progress, but we expect her to continue to follow that bliss and tie up loose ends on her own. Like life, author Wendy Markham does not expect this literary piece to be so easily solved within the restraints of the novel. What we get instead is one summer, one piece of the picture, and one chance at seeing a bit of ourselves in the storyline.”
—Lori A. May, Heartstrings

She writes like women think. In her refreshingly charming novel, Slightly Single, Wendy Markham captures the stream of conscience of a 24-year-old “slightly single” woman, seeking to improve herself over a summer alone.
—Emily Lampert, The Collegian Online

Slightly Settled

Slightly Settled

BOOK TWO

TOP TWO DON’TS FOR THE OFFICE PARTY:

  • Don’t dress in a revealing manner. (Translation: Don’t wear the sexy scarlet, size 8 dress you couldn’t fit into three months ago. The one that flaunts your firmed up cleavage and newly discovered collar bones.)
  • Don’t make a spectacle of yourself. (Translation: Don’t get drunk and make out with a really cute stranger for the whole company to see; he could turn out to be your boss’s roommate.)

I didn’t follow those tips, and here I am with a hot new man in my life, Jack. But my friends are asking if I really want to bump into my boss in his boxers in the hallway of their apartment. After all, I am aiming for a promotion.

And now not only does my ex want me back, but the guy I used to think was Mr. Right, just kissed me?

Three months ago I couldn’t hold onto one guy. Now three want me. When did my life become so complicated?

“What a smashing idea for a novel. Wendy Markham has written a delightful love story. You will enjoy following Tracey on her journey to true love as she searches for “The One.” Be ready to smile as you read Slightly Settled. You will enjoy it.”
—Dawn Myers, Writers Unlimited

“Markham’s second novel brings back the heroine of her first, Slightly Single (2002). Tracey Spadolini has slimmed down and ditched her arrogant, selfish boyfriend, Will, and now she’s on the rebound. She suspects her friend Buckley would be perfect for her, but he’s dating Sonja. At her company’s Christmas party, Tracey meets a sexy guy named Jack, who is very interested in her, but his roommate is her boss, and Tracey isn’t over Will, or so everyone keeps telling her. And yet she has a great time with Jack on their first date. Having to see her boss in his underwear in the morning is pretty scary, but spending the night with Jack is divine. Nonetheless, Will is still on her mind, as is her lingering attraction to Buckley. Readers who followed Tracey’s struggles in Slightly Single, and those meeting her for the first time, will sympathize with this singleton’s post-breakup attempts to move on in this fun, lighthearted romp with a lovable heroine.”
—Kristine Huntley Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

“A little bit crazy and a lot of fun is the perfect description for this tale. Tracey needs to be committed along with her supporting cast. The group is upbeat and takes a look at themselves with a fun mirror. Definitely a laugh out loud book.”
—Rendezvous magazine

“Tracey is insecure and has many neuroses, but this makes her realistic…And like many women, Tracey needs to figure out when to listen to her friends and when to listen to herself. A fast, fluffy read.”
—Samantha J. Gust, Romantic Times magazine

“Markham writes well, and the book is full of funny touches, good interior monologue, and mini-cliffhangers…There is one hilarious scene involving a bachelorette party that is worth the cover price by itself. It’s rare that I will laugh out loud, but this scene more than tickled my funny bone.”
—Rachel Potter, All About Romance

Slightly Engaged

Slightly Engaged

BOOK THREE

There are a lot of things worse than being SLIGHTLY ENGAGED…

Being entirely broke, completely alone and wholly perplexed.

It’s been a year and a half since Tracey and Jack moved in together and everything’s totally perfect–well, okay, almost perfect. There’s still Tracey’s mom, who says they’re “living in sin,” and her friends, who are all smug, married, and totally sure that there would already be a ring on Tracey’s finger if she hadn’t been in such a rush to cosign a lease. Even Tracey is beginning to wonder whether Jack really is looking for a permanent relationship, or whether she’s just renting space in his heart.

But just when Tracey’s doubts are seriously raging out of control, Jack’s mom lets her in on a secret–he’s just taken an heirloom diamond out of the family’s safe-deposit box, which must mean that he’s going to propose any day now.

Okay, any week now…

Any month now?

“Wendy Markham writes some of the funniest chick lit books out there. Her writing is laugh out loud funny and her characters are well developed. I thoroughly enjoy reading about Tracey, who is such a likeable character as she tries not to become overly obsessed with tying the knot, maintaining her weight loss of forty pounds, quitting smoking (for Jack), and not losing her cool while she waits for an engagement ring. Slightly Engaged is a fantastic follow up to the two prior books and should not be missed by Markham fans.”
—Shannon Bingham, Bookloons

“Ms. Wendy Markham has written a hilarious account of one woman’s mental gymnastics concerning her love relationship. Tracey is a typically smart and witty career girl with a sensitive heart and an old fashioned Italian mother with antiquated ideas of courtship. Jack is the typical boyfriend who gets along with everyone, is courteous with Tracey’s parents, and is an all around good guy. Combine the two and you get a funny glimpse into modern couples with everyday concerns. I laughed out loud several times throughout this book and was so caught up in when the hero would propose, I could not put it down until he did. Of course, it was not in a perfect place, but it was perfect for them. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone needing a laugh.”
—Coffee Time Romance

“Written in first person, SLIGHTLY ENGAGED is a humorous look at one woman’s obsession with becoming engaged. Well-written with realistic characters and dialogue, it is a smooth flowing story. In her mind, Tracey imagines all sorts of things, and she tries to convince herself that she is fine being single. Jack is easy going and sensitive to Tracey’s feelings. He even tolerates Tracey’s flamboyant gay friend, Raphael. Other secondary characters add humorous situations to the story. For a light-hearted read, don’t miss SLIGHTLY ENGAGED.”
—Joyce Koehl for Romance Reviews Today

Slightly Married

BOOK FOUR

One small step for Tracey, one giant leap for the groom.

After three years, the man who bought a lifetime subscription to Tivo without trying it finally committed to a lifetime subscription to Tracey Spadolini.

All Tracey wants is to get hitched without a hitch–but as the calendar marches toward her late-October wedding date, suddenly she and her fiance can’t agree on anything. From where to get married (New York City or Buffalo?) to how many attendants they’re going to have (she’s already asked eight, he was thinking of just a best man). Meanwhile, Tracey’s friends are caught up in their own dramas. There’s newlywed Raphael, who just had his gay wedding; newly pregnant Kate, trying to adjust to impending motherhood; and Buckley, who is acting inexplicably strange. When Buckley unexpectedly calls off his own engagement, all but leaving his fiance at the altar, Tracey is stunned to discover that he might be in love with her.

With plenty of snafus to keep them distracted, is being Slightly Married the road to happily ever after, after all?

“In her comical tale about the trials and errors encountered along the road to the biggest day in a young woman’s life, Markham successfully weaves together colorful characters–ranging from the fabulous gay friend to the uptight future sister-in-law to a bothersome old flame. Readers will delight in the main character’s triumphs, share in her pain and overall enjoy the ride.”
—Jennifer Madsen, RT Book Reviews

“In this wonderfully written story, Wendy Markham creates some fun along the way to saying I do. Her colorful cast of characters spin a wedding about relationships and the woes of planning that keep the reader entertained. This chick-lit is an amusing tale.”
—Coffee Time Romance

Slightly Suburban

Slightly Suburban

BOOK FIVE

She’s so over the City…but so dreading life without takeout!

It seemed exciting at first, but after two and a half years in New York, Tracey has to admit that her life…well, sucks. Sure, she makes a decent living as a copywriter, but Blaire Barnett Advertising is a cutthroat world that basically swallows her life. If she does manage to get home before nine, she’s usually greeted by Jack’s best bud, an almost permanent fixture in their tiny, unaffordable apartment. Add the circus freaks stomping around upstairs, and Tracey decides it’s time to move.

After quitting her job, she and Jack take the plunge into the nearby suburbs of Westchester and quickly discover they’re in way over their heads. Their fixer-upper is unfixable, the stay-at-home yoga moms are a bore and Tracey yearns for her old friends–she even misses work!

So which life does she really want? Other than Jack’s wife, who is she? If Tracey merely has to find her own Slightly Suburban niche, it had better be just around the corner, because there’re no subways here!

(Four and a Half Stars=Fantastic—Keeper) “Markham’s witty inner monologue and talent for writing interesting life details and a fresh character voice improve with each book. Readers from all walks of life will relate to the imposition of too-close best friends; the mixture of unmanageable family in close proximity and sorely missed long-distance family and the pressures and disappointments of work.”
—RT Book Reviews

“Continuing her “Slightly” chick lit Tracey and Jack saga, Wendy Markham provides a refreshing tale in which grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Tracey is at her best as she moans, groans and laments city life and then suburban life. Fans will appreciate her coping not always well with issues at work, unemployment, family, and just fitting in as Ms. Markham provides an engaging look at an urbanite struggling with adjusting to life in the burbs.”
—Harriet Klausner